Shiftable panel with marble game board



July 19 1949- w. A, SCHNEIDER 2,475,457

SHIFTABLE PANEL WITH MARBLE GAME BOARD Filed Oct. 28, 1947 2 ShebS-Sheeb l rroQ/vsys.

July 19, 1949. w. A. SCHNEIDER v v 2,476,457

SHIFTABLE PANEL WITH MARBLE GAME BOARD k Filed oct. 2a. 1947 2 sheets-sheet 2 `20 25 27 22 27 25 fg f6 k m \1.\L\\\\1 Wm \1|l\ l y ummm l I3 [2 W "WIIIIIHH Q4v FZ-. 3.

1.2 l0 f2 W/ 't r r r j 3 r f r r r r r r r e' r r 1 [I8 f7/' I f r J r r r f r r r r l w1 :FI fygxf):

F If F I j F JNVENTOR. W/u /AM 4. Sch/M9552,

QM/ ha@ Patented July 19, 1949 2,476,457 SHIFTABLE PANEL WITH MARBLE GAMEy BOARD William A. Schneider', Los Angeles, Calif. Application October 28, 1947, Serial No. 782,487 4 claims. (ci. 27a-13s) This invention relates to improvements in games.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved game wherein the elements of chance and logical deduction are advantageously combined to impart a continued interest in playing the game.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved game; v

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 2-2 upon Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 3-3 upon Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 4--4 upon Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a partial view in vertical section similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the operation of the game'.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved game consists of a boxlike frame, generally indicated at I0, divided by a central partition II into two compartments. As the structure within Aeach compartment is identically the same that construction which ls within only one of the compartments will hereafter be described.

In the bottom of the compartment there is a relatively shallow hopper or collector indicated at I2 which slopes from all sides of the compartment towards a central outlet opening I3 that discharges into a trough or tube Il, the exit of which is on the side of the frame as indicated at I5. Over this shallow hopper there is disposed a'lower ball supporting deck. This deck may be formed of sheet metal and provides a, number of relatively narrow parallel supporting strips I6 that are equally spaced from each other and which may be connected at their ends to the marginal portions I1 of the deck. On these strips at equally spaced intervals there are shallow depressions I8 constituting ball supports for balls I9.` The spacing between adjacent ball supports I8 is preferably, but not necessarily, equal to the spacing betweenadjacent strip I8 and between adjacent ball supports I8. The top surfaces of the outer wall of the frame.

the strips I8 are preferably rounded so that a ball may not rest thereon but will fall off between adjacent strips onto the shallow hopper I2 and descend therefrom by gravity through the outlet I3, trough I4, and out of the exit I5.

In association with each compartment there are three groups of balls, each group being separately identifiable such as by color. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated,one group of balls consistsof five balls which may be colored red for example. Another group consists of three balls which may be colored yellow, and the third group consists of two balls which may be colored blue. On the top edges of the sides of the frame I 0 there is positioned an upper deck or lid 20, the inner edge of which is notched as at 2| for engagement with a stud 22 which serves to guide the forward sliding movement of the upper deck. Adjacent the outer edge of the upper deck there is an aperture 23 receivable over a dowel 24 on a push button 25 that slidably extends through A coil tension spring 26 urges the push button 25 into its outermost position wherein the outer edge of the upper deck abuts against vthe outer wall of the frame I0. The spring 26, however, will enable the upper deck 20 to be pushed forwardly by the push button on overcoming the spring 26 and when the push button is released the spring will automatically re turn the upper deck to its initial or normal position. Apertures 21 are formed in the upper deck 20 there being one aperture for each ball support I8.v These apertures, however, are so arranged that when the upper deck 20 is in -its normal position as illustrated in Fig. 2 that they will be displaced from or disaligned from their'respective ball supports. However, when the deck is formed forwardly by the push button 25 as illustrated in Fig. 5', each aperture 21 occupies a position vertically over its respective ball support I8. A plu-'- rality of groups of :identifiable kpegs or pins 28 are provided the shanks of which are receivable through the apertures 21. These pegs or pins preferably have heads which will prevent them from dropping through the apertures and their Shanks are of suchvlength that whena pin is inserted in a hole 21 whose ball support has a ball positioned thereon the lower-end of the shank will engage and displace or dislodge the ball from its ball support when the deck 20 is moved forwardly as illustrated in Fig. 5. The pegs or pins may be separately identiiied in any suitable manner, such as for example by being numbered. Thus there may be five pegs or pins each num- 1bered 1 to be utilized by the player during his rst play or turn. Similar groups of pegs or pins numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. are also provided to be used by the player on his second, third, fourth, fifth, etc. turns, respectively.

The preferable manner in which the gaineI is played is as follows: The game may be played by two players eachlof whom first. make their. in.- stallationszontheiif. rpective lower decks in their. respective compartments. Thus each player may lift the upper deck or lid 20 to the dotted-lmet'V position shown in Fig. 2 exposing tovhimself but 4 on succeeding plays quickly so dispose his pins as to displace all balls of this installation.

The player and his opponent alternate in taking their respective plays and the object of the game is to displace all balls of all installations as soon as possible, that player which displaces all balls being the winner. After the large or Iiveball installation has been completely displaced or demolished by a player, that player is thereafter restricted to the use of three pins or pegs per play while attempting to displace the remaining three-ball or yellow installation and the two-ball or. blue installation.

It will bei appreciated; from the; above description of the method of play that the improved y game combines the element of chance with the shielding from his opponent^thelower deck on I which the ball supports I8 are disposed. While the lower deck is thus concealedlfromfhis..oppo-t nent each player positions the balls IS on the ball supports I8, the requiremenibei'ng"merelythatt' the balls of each group shall be arranged in one continuous straight row and each group being or p insnumbered' I"in,apertures 2T in the upper deckl In,so,positioni'ng these pinshe, ofcourse;

doesnot know oithelocations ofthe-installations made on the lower deck'.a:1d'then initial settingof tliepins is entirely by guessw'o rk:` .After the,pins liavelbeen set the, player then pushes the push buttonl to shiftlthe decklfromthe position shownin Bhg.. 2t'o `the position show nin Eig,V 5". If the. pins.. have been set'. asY illustrated. inA Eig.v 4; it` will-he,notedlthats.thepin: 3U. has beenso set that` it. will engage'the. red'lball 3.I disl'odging it. Thisballlwhen the.v decklis: shiited will be moved from .its ..seat.. on ,its ball. support; I and wil1'.di.ep` frornthe lowerl deck` onto,.the,hopperf and. bedischarged throughn the, exitz Iii,mv thus.. indicating tc the player. that one: of hisj five-pins. numbered. I issY in! such'. position:- as.- to l engage the.- large.- orA red installation.. Infthaposition-,showninEig-A, none ci thef other pins have been sopositionedV as to engage-any,- of` theo therfballs-a The,` player;how= eyerrbeing aware that-lone-ofz-his pins .issn-posi:- tionedv asf-.170.A engage,` theflarginstallation; and knowing; that: thei-rni es.Y reduire#r thats instailations befimafstraiglitrow: may thernso: arrangehiszpins on his: succeeding: play: with-1 rel ation to',2 the;V pins seti4 byl'hiim om thrst play.T as=. tm endeavor-t'o'. determinetliev direction off' thed installation. that liehasffdislodged. Oficourse, nourknowing which of? thej frst pinsf. engaged? thelarge: installation th'ar-rlangementof thefpins the lsecondplay mayeal'so-be-largely av n'fiatter-ofE guesswork; However; shoulditlielplayerfonA hi'slsecfcnd'fplay position-aipin sofas todislodgetheba'll 3'2itiis'possible= fuor-him to=logically deduce fromtheY relationship of the pin 30v andthe pin-whichfdisplacedball132 the 'direction' ofAll the-large orredy install ation' and element of logical deduction in that when balls of anrinstallation'have'- been displaced by noting the color of the balls discharged it can be determined whetherapinlor; pins are near a five-ball, threeball, or two-ball installation and by subsequently properly-"arrangingpins on subsequent plays with relationito the pins that havel been previously used. It can be deduced therefrom the location and the direction of the row constituting that installation so thattherea-fter pins` may be most"advantageously or eiciently used to completely displace the entiref installation; Y

Various-changes may be made inthe details of construction without departing from the; spirit and scope ofthe invention asjdenedbythaappenrledl claims:

Il claim:l 1'. A game comprising'means 'providing a lower l deck-on whichidentifiableA groups'of'balls may be positioned" for4 displacement from their set position, an' upper deck' adapted to be positioned thereover concealing the positions of the'- ball groupingsmeans for supporting one of the'decks for movement*l relative to the other and settable identiable means applicable to the upperdeck for*engagementl withthe ballsf if`prop erly positioned upon relative movement takingiplace; betweenftlie decks, 4means'ior--collecting,andireturningA to theeplayer the4 displaced balls; an'dmeans for causing'f relative movement-Y to take placel Ice tweenthesdecks. A

2. A game comprising means providing a lower Set of? equally'A `spaced ball supports, identifiable groupsofy ballsadapted-to lne-positioned thereon; anfupperY deck movably mounted' with= relationto tlieballsupports" havingb an aperture therein; for eachball support, identiii'able p ins adapted to be positioned in ther` apertures and extend theretlirougls'o as to be engageable withA ,the-ballson the-supports to displace them from their supports upon movement 'ofthe upper' deck with relation tb-'thel:ra'llsupports,` andimeansformoving the upper decki with relation tothe ball supports;

3i Ai gamecomprisingfineans providinga lower set" ofi" equallyf spacedE ball supports, identifiable groupsVl of-iballs adapted to lbe=positionedi thereon; an upperf deck movably n lount'edV with relation to tlie=ball l supports having-anc' aperture therein for ea'cll ballIx support; identifiable pins adaptedJ to be positic'ined `the aperturesfand extend therethrough so'rasl to be engageable with the-balls on theesupports'toidisplace themifrom their supports uporrmo'vement ofthe upper` deck with relation tothe hanf-supports; means for moving the'- upperv deckwitli relationtojthejballsupports., and means forreturnyingj-theupper deck to itsnormalpositionl whereinthe apertures are disaligned from the lda'll supports; I Q

4.- A- gamecomprising-meansproviding a lower set of equally spaced ball supports, identiiiable groups of balls adapted to be positionedthereon, an upper deck movably mounted with relation to the ball supports having an aperture therein for each ball support, identiable pins adapted to be REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 566,930 Nimmo Sept. 1, 1896 2,066,818 Beall Jan. 5, 1937 2,197,306 Ingraham Apr. 16, 1940 2,293,298 MacDonald Aug. 16, 1942 

